The Jim Henson Company has hired long-time collaborator John Tartaglia, the Tony and Emmy-nominated creator, producer, writer, director, and puppeteer, to join its development team as Creative Supervisor of Fraggle Rock, the iconic property that includes the Emmy-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (currently streaming on Apple TV+), and initiatives across consumer products, social media, live shows, podcasts, and location-based entertainment. Tartaglia’s expansive agreement also includes developing and producing new television and live show projects for the Company. The announcement was made today by Halle Stanford, President of Television, to whom Tartaglia reports.
Tartaglia has been a collaborator with The Jim Henson Company over the last several years on a variety of projects, chief among them serving as an executive producer, writer, director, and puppeteer (Gobo Fraggle, Sprocket, and multiple other characters) on the Emmy-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, which is set to premiere its second season on March 29th on Apple TV+. Other projects include the TV series Splash and Bubbles for PBS KIDS (for which he served as creator, executive producer, writer, and Emmy-nominated puppeteer), and development projects like The Kissing Hand and the recently announced Monster Jam. Tartaglia has also produced, written, and directed several live shows for the Company including Jim Henson’s Inspired Silliness for Princess Cruises as well as Sid the Science Kid Live, and Dinosaur Train Live. As a puppeteer, Tartaglia has been featured in a range of projects for the Company including Word Party, Julie’s Greenroom, Slumberkins, Happytime Murders, and the live show Puppet Up! – Uncensored.
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“John has been an essential part of the recent success of Fraggle Rock not only as an Executive Producer, and star performer of Gobo and Sprocket, but also as the property’s number one fan. In his new role, he is committed to growing the Fraggle franchise into a change-the-world phenomenon.” said Stanford. “John is a multi-talent superstar with his thirty plus years in the industry as a creator, producer, writer, director, and puppeteer. We are thrilled he has joined The Jim Henson Company’s team and is bringing with him his great imagination, big heart, and innovative ideas.”
“Discovering Fraggle Rock as a child sparked in me a love of creativity and joy, and it is honestly the reason I became a puppeteer,” said Tartaglia. “It has been so professionally fulfilling and exciting to be part of the Henson legacy over these last several years and this Company feels like a creative home. It is a real dream come true to be part of Fraggle Rock, and ‘Pass It On’ to a new generation of Fraggle fans.”
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